TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Title |
Synopsis |
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I. Subject Area: Environmental Technology |
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1 |
Environmental friendly ceramic foam could substitute harmful fibers as insulator |
A new high-temperature thermal ceramic insulator under development by Israeli researchers could become an environmentally friendly substitute for potentially harmful ceramic fibers now in use. |
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2 |
New polymer improves the performance of membranes used in wastewater treatment |
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered a way to make filtration membranes used in wastewater treatment more lasting and perform better. |
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3 |
Cleaning waste without harmful chemicals |
A UK company, Axsia Mozley has come up with the Hydrocyclone technology and the multi-gravity technology to clean waste without harmful chemicals. |
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III. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health |
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4 |
Nitrate in drinking water causes bladder cancer |
A new study by researchers from the University of Iowa found that nitrate in drinking water increases the risk of bladder cancer. |
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5 |
UK medical study links particulates with life expectancy |
A UK medical committee has found that the average life expectancy would increase by up to seven months if particle pollution improves by 5%. |
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IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News |
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6 |
Motorists able to power engines with vegetable-diesel in California |
California motorists will soon have the option to power their diesel engines with environmentally friendly but more costly vegetable oils. |
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7 |
EU to legislate energy efficiency for new buildings |
New buildings in the EU would have to meet tough new energy efficiency standards and existing ones would have to rate their energy efficiency performance. |
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8 |
Canada adds airborne soot to toxic substances list |
The Canadian government declares airborne particulate matter less than or equal to 10 microns (PM 10) as a toxic substance under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). |
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9 |
More than one in 10 British children are carrying superbugs |
The Royal London School of Medicine reported that more than one in 10 British children are carrying superbugs resistant to one or more antibiotics. |
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10 |
Hybrid and fuel cell vehicles boosted by President Bush's energy plan |
President Bush's national energy plan is likely to bring more hybrid and fuel cell vehicles to market. |
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SUMMARY REPORT
Period Covered : 14 May 2001 to 20 May 2001
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Item 1 |
Environmental friendly ceramic foam could substitute harmful fibers as insulator |
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Summary |
According to Gideon Grader, a professor from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, a new high-temperature thermal ceramic insulator foam made of aluminum oxide could become an environmentally friendly substitute for asbestos and other potentially harmful ceramic fibers now in use. The new ceramic foam will act as an effective insulator as it contains 94 to 96 percent of air by volume and can resist temperatures above 1,700 oC because of the large amount of air trapped in the aluminum oxide matrix. The new form also has other favorable properties. Its low density is important in application where weight is a premium. It can also be used for other applications such as acoustic insulation and adsorption of environmental pollutants. Lastly, unlike asbestos, the use of the new foam does not produce dust and thus does not pose health hazards to the public. |
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Reference |
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Item 2 |
New polymer improves the performance of membranes used in wastewater treatment |
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Summary |
The existing standard membranes used in wastewater filtration only have porous top layers acting as separating surface and the lower layers acting as support. These membranes with the standard structural features have low surface porosity, which reduces the rate at which water passes through. In addition, their hydrophobic properties attract oils and proteins that ultimately clog the filters. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered a way to make the filtration membranes used in wastewater treatment more lasting and perform better. According to the MIT researchers, the addition of a new "comb-like" polymer to the standard membrane will help to alleviate the existing drawbacks. The new polymer not only makes the membranes substantially more porous but also provides other benefits. The "teeth" of the polymer, being hydrophilic, is able to attract water and increase its flow while repelling oils and proteins during the filtration process. As a result, the filters are kept cleaner for a longer period of time and its lifespan extended. |
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Reference |
Civil Engineering, May 2001, pg. 36 |
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Item 3 |
Cleaning waste without harmful chemicals |
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Summary |
A UK company, Axsia Mozley has come up with the Hydrocyclone technology and the multi-gravity technology to clean waste without harmful chemicals. The 100mm diameter standard abrasion-resistant hydrocyclones can be used to recover calcium sulphate from neutralized effluent prior to filtration; remove abrasive solids and oil droplets in the oil and gas industry; recover a range of metalliferous and industrial minerals in the chemicals industry. The multi-gravity technology can be used to significantly reduce the sulphur in fine coal to provide safer low-sulphur fuel, offering environmental benefits. |
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Reference |
Asian Water, May 2001, pg. 26 |
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Item 4 |
Nitrate in drinking water causes bladder cancer |
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Summary |
A new study by researchers from the University of Iowa found that nitrate in drinking water increases the risk of bladder cancer. According to the researchers, drinking water can account for a substantial proportion of a person's total nitrate intake especially when boiling and standard filtration processes cannot remove nitrates. Up to 20 percent of the ingested nitrate is being transformed in the body to nitrite and subsequently to cancer-causing N-nitroso compounds. The researchers also said that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's acceptable standard for nitrate-nitrogen in drinking water at 10 mg per liter is too lenient to relieve consumers of the risks of contracting cancers. The study suggests that nitrate levels much lower than that could already be a serious health concern. |
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Reference |
http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/2001/05/05152001/nitrates_43528.asp |
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Item 5 |
UK medical study links particulates with life expectancy |
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Summary |
A study by the UK committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollution shows that a 5% improvement in particle pollution would increase life expectancy by up to seven months. This is considering the effect of particle pollution as likely to be concentrated among the most susceptible sections of about 1 million of its population living in the city. The committee warns the calculations are broad and subject to considerable uncertainty, but says that the total effect is some 10 times greater than the effect of particles on short term health. |
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Reference |
Environment Business News Briefing, May 2001, Page 6 |
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Item 6 |
Motorists able to power engines with vegetable-diesel in California |
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Summary |
California motorists will soon have the option to power their diesel engines with vegetable oils. Biodiesel producer, World Energy Alternatives and local fuel producer, Olympian will soon open the nation's first retail biodiesel filling station offering soy; palm and corn-based diesel fuel in California. Biodiesel, which can even be made from recycled cooking oil from restaurants, is considered an environmentally friendly fuel and it could act as a good supplement to petroleum supply. However, the price of biodiesel is higher than the conventional diesel. Besides being more expensive, the biodiesel does not work well in low temperatures and also degrades the natural rubber in older engines. All these drawbacks in the use of biodiesel make policy makers hesitant about making its use even more widespread. World Energy said that it is now working on ways to reduce the price of the biodiesel and also exploring technologies to improve the fuel's performance. |
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Reference |
http://www.enn.com/news/wire-stories/2001/05/05172001/reu_veggiediesel_43571.asp |
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Item 7 |
EU to legislate energy efficiency for new buildings |
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Summary |
New buildings in the EU would have to meet tough new energy efficiency standards and existing ones would have to rate their energy efficiency performance under draft legislation drawn up by the European Commission. The planned Directive aims to make energy savings of about 22% by 2010 in order to meet the Kyoto commitment. The draft Directive would set minimum energy efficiency standards when constructing new houses, flats and offices and renovating those over 1,500 m2. It would also require owners to display energy efficiency data to potential buyers and renters. It would create a common methodology for performance standards and a building certification scheme. |
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Reference |
Environment Business News Briefing, May 2001, Page 3 |
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Item 8 |
Canada adds airborne soot to toxic substances list |
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Summary |
The Canadian government has intensified its war on smog and smog's associated health impacts by officially adding airborne particulate matter less than or equal to 10 microns (PM 10) in size to the List of Toxic Substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). In addition, both the Environment Minister and Health Minister jointly announced that four volatile organic compounds that are classified as smog precursors (lead to smog formation) were added to the List of Toxic Substances. The four are acetaldehyde, acrolein, acrylonitrile, and 1,3-butadiene, which are produced from combustion sources or released through industrial processes. |
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Reference |
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Item 9 |
More than one in 10 British children are carrying superbugs |
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Summary |
The Royal London School of Medicine reported that its study found more than one in 10 British children are carrying superbugs resistant to one or more antibiotics. It added that the proportion of adult carriers could be even higher. The superbugs are no immediate threat to those carrying them, but could cause dangerous infections after an operation, for example. Carriers can also infect other people. The finding has serious public-health implications, warns researchers as the bug may be spread to infect the population. The study recommends policies to control antibiotic resistance that go across boundaries. |
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Reference |
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Item 10 |
Hybrid and fuel cell vehicles boosted by President Bush's energy plan |
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Summary |
President Bush announced a national energy plan that proposes spending $4 billion on tax credits to entice US consumers to buy fuel-saving cars and trucks. The initiative is likely to bring more hybrid-electric and fuel cell vehicles to market. The President's proposal is seen as a victory for the auto industry, which has been lobbying for tax credits in the hope of increasing consumer demand for hybrid vehicles since hybrid vehicles cost more to produce than conventional vehicles. Among the automakers, Ford and Daimler Chrysler are gearing to take full advantage of the new initiative with a hybrid version of the Ford Escape SUV and the fuel cell NECAR, respectively. |
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Reference |
Lexis-Nexis, May 18, 2001. |